Fuzzy Fingerprinting

Fingerprints play an important role in biometrics and cryptography. Their creation might be based on one-way hash functions, which should usually also be collision-resistant. But users tend to draw less attention at those fingerprints - so an attacker might hand out a similar fingerprint in order to spoof identity. The main ideas for creating such 'fuzzy fingerprints' and the creation algorithm itself are discussed in this lecture. The demonstration of the tool, that produces fuzzy fingerprints shows the practical background of this technique.Fingerabdrücke besitzen sowohl in der Kryptographie als auch in der Biometrie eine große Bedeutung. In kryptographischen Anwendungen werden diese durch Einweg-Hash-Verfahren erzeugt, die für bestimmte Anwendungen auch kollisionsresitent sein müssen. In der Praxis schenken Benutzer diesen Fingerprints weit weniger Aufmerksamkeit - oft genügt es nur hinreichend ähnliche Fingerprints auszugeben, um die Nutzer zu täuschen Die Kriterien, die dabei erfüllt sein müssen und die Erzeugung dieser "Fuzzy Fingerprints" sind Hauptbestandteil dieses Vortrags. Durch die Demonstration eines Tools im praktischen Einsatz wird dieser abgeschlossen

Prefrontal and auditory input to intercalated neurons of the Amygdala

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are partners in fear learning and extinction. Intercalated (ITC) cells are inhibitory neurons that surround the BLA. Lateral ITC (IITC) neurons provide feed-forward inhibition to BLA principal neurons, whereas medial ITC (mITC) neurons form an inhibitory interface between the BLA and central amygdala (CeA). Notably, infralimbic prefrontal (IL) input to mITC neurons is thought to play a key role in fear extinction. Here, using targeted optogenetic stimulation, we show that IITC neurons receive auditory input from cortical and thalamic regions. IL inputs innervate principal neurons in the BLA but not mITC neurons. These results suggest that (1) these neurons may play a more central role in fear learning as both IITCs and mITCs receive auditory input and that (2) mITC neurons cannot be driven directly by the IL, and their role in fear extinction is likely mediated via the BLA

Choir singing improves respiratory muscle strength and quality of life in patients with structural heart disease - HeartChoir: a randomised clinical trial

Most patients with reduced exercise capacity and acquired or congenital structural heart disease also have a reduced respiratory muscle strength. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether choir singing in combination with respiratory muscle training positively influences respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity and quality of life in this population.; In this single-centre, randomised and open-label interventional study we compared respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with acquired or congenital structural heart disease who received either standard of care and a 12-week intervention (weekly choir rehearsal and daily breathing exercises) or standard of care alone. The primary endpoint was the difference in change in maximum inspiratory pressure (∆MIP%predicted). Secondary endpoints included the difference in change in maximum expiratory pressure (∆MEP%predicted), exercise capacity quantified as maximal oxygen uptake during exercise (∆MVO2%predicted) and quality of life quantified by the Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (∆MLHFQ score).; Overall 24 patients (mean age 65, standard deviation [SD] 19 years, 46% male) were randomised after exclusion. ∆MIP%predicted was significantly higher in the intervention group (∆MIP%predicted +14, SD 21% vs −14, SD 23%; p = 0.008) and quality of life improved significantly (∆MLHFQ score −5, SD 6 vs 3, SD 5; p = 0.006) after 12 weeks. ∆MEP%predicted and ∆MVO2%predicted did not differ between both groups (∆MEP%predicted −3, SD 26% vs −3, SD 16%; p = 1.0 and ∆MVO2%predicted 18, SD 12% vs 10, SD 15%; p = 0.2).; Choir singing in combination with respiratory muscle training improved respiratory muscle strength and quality of life in patients with structural heart disease and may therefore be valuable supplements in cardiac rehabilitation. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03297918)

Enabling large-scale hydrogen storage in porous media – the scientific challenges

Expectations for energy storage are high but large-scale underground hydrogen storage in porous media (UHSP) remains largely untested. This article identifies and discusses the scientific challenges of hydrogen storage in porous media for safe and efficient large-scale energy storage to enable a global hydrogen economy. To facilitate hydrogen supply on the scales required for a zero-carbon future, it must be stored in porous geological formations, such as saline aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. Large-scale UHSP offers the much-needed capacity to balance inter-seasonal discrepancies between demand and supply, decouple energy generation from demand and decarbonise heating and transport, supporting decarbonisation of the entire energy system. Despite the vast opportunity provided by UHSP, the maturity is considered low and as such UHSP is associated with several uncertainties and challenges. Here, the safety and economic impacts triggered by poorly understood key processes are identified, such as the formation of corrosive hydrogen sulfide gas, hydrogen loss due to the activity of microbes or permeability changes due to geochemical interactions impacting on the predictability of hydrogen flow through porous media. The wide range of scientific challenges facing UHSP are outlined to improve procedures and workflows for the hydrogen storage cycle, from site selection to storage site operation. Multidisciplinary research, including reservoir engineering, chemistry, geology and microbiology, more complex than required for CH4 or CO2 storage is required in order to implement the safe, efficient and much needed large-scale commercial deployment of UHSP.This work was stimulated by the GEO*8 Workshop on “Hydrogen Storage in Porous Media”, November 2019 at the GFZ in Potsdam (Germany). NH, AH, ET, KE, MW and SH are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded research project “HyStorPor” (grant number EP/S027815/1). JA is funded by the Spanish MICINN (Juan de la Cierva fellowship-IJC2018-036074-I). JM is co-funded by EU INTERREG V project RES-TMO (Ref: 4726 / 6.3). COH acknowledges funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, Germany) in the context of project H2_ReacT (03G0870C).Peer reviewe

BTK isoforms p80 and p65 are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and involved in tumor progression

Here, we describe the expression of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines as well as in primary HNSCC samples. BTK is a kinase initially thought to be expressed exclusively in cells of hematopoietic origin. Apart from the 77 kDa BTK isoform expressed in immune cells, particularly in B cells, we identified the 80 kDa and 65 kDa BTK isoforms in HNSCC, recently described as oncogenic. Importantly, we revealed that both isoforms are products of the same mRNA. By investigating the mechanism regulating oncogenic BTK-p80/p65 expression in HNSSC versus healthy or benign tissues, our data suggests that the epigenetic process of methylation might be responsible for the initiation of BTK-p80/p65 expression in HNSCC. Our findings demonstrate that chemical or genetic abrogation of BTK activity leads to inhibition of tumor progression in terms of proliferation and vascularization in vitro and in vivo. These observations were associated with cell cycle arrest and increased apoptosis and autophagy. Together, these data indicate BTK-p80 and BTK-p65 as novel HNSCC-associated oncogenes. Owing to the fact that abundant BTK expression is a characteristic feature of primary and metastatic HNSCC, targeting BTK activity appears as a promising therapeutic option for HNSCC patients

Polygenic and multifactorial scores for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk prediction

Most cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are asymptomatic in early stages, and the disease is typically diagnosed in advanced phases, resulting in very high mortality. Tools to identify individuals at high risk of developing PDAC would be useful to improve chances of early detection

The Intercalated Cells of the Rodent Amygdala

The medial intercalated cell masses (mITCs) of the amygdala are a cluster of GABAergic neurons located between the basolateral complex (BLA) and central nucleus (CeA), the main input and output stations of the amygdala. The mITCs play an important role during fear conditioning and extinction by processing excitatory inputs from the BLA and infralimbic cortex and generate feedforward inhibition of intercalated cells themselves as well as the central amygdala. Despite their important functional roles, intrinsic and synaptic properties of these cells are not well understood. In this study, using immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology and calcium imaging, I have characterized the properties of mITCs from GAD67-GFP transgenic mice. Electrophysiologically, I observed a variety of passive and active membrane properties in the mITCs, however, these differences could not clearly separate mITCs into different subgroups. A single action potential propagated not more than ~ 70 μm into the dendritic. In this area, back-propagating action potentials also led to rapid [Ca2+] increases in spines. However, when characterizing the properties of synaptic inputs of these cells from the surrounding BLA, I found two different mITCs populations, either expressing calcium-permeable or calcium-impermeable AMPA receptors. Besides excitatory inputs, mITCs are also under tight inhibitory control and receive GABAergic inputs from local mITCs. Despite being GABAergic neurons, immunohistochemistry revealed, that mITCs do not express any of the classical calcium-binding proteins and neuropeptides. Furthermore and even though LTP (long-term potentiation) has been previously reported in mITCs, in my study, the induction of LTP in mITCs had a low success rate. In this study, chemical and physiological properties of mITCs were investigated. My findings suggest, that even though intrinsic and histochemical properties seemed to be similar between mITCs, different mITC subpopulations exist, based on the presence of calcium-permeable and impermeable AMPA receptors. The functional significance of this segregation is unknown, but paves the way for further studies of these very interesting cells

Jabber- das Plaudern geht weiter

Workshop "Netz- und Service-Infrastrukturen" In dem Vortrag wird der Instant-Messaging-Dienst Jabber eingeführt. Neben dem Vergleich mit anderen Diensten dieser Art werden im Besonderen das Adressierungsschema, der Ablauf einer Kommunikation und das Zusammenspiel mit anderen Diensten erläutert